


Sometimes the person that you would've taken a bullet for is the one behind the trigger

by lunasmelody



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Hurt No Comfort, I Will Die On This Misspelt Hill, Literally just me manifesting a qrow and ironwood fight, also fairgame isnt even implied in this it just happens, angst is all i know how to do, heavily implied fairgame, i miss clover so much, no beta btw, past ironqrow if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:22:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29728983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasmelody/pseuds/lunasmelody
Summary: “Qrow, we have the perfect opportunity to get the hell out of here right now. Confronting him will only make him call more guards, what the hell are you doing?” Robyn called out from behind him, but Qrow didn’t listen. He didn’t care if he was forced back into a cell after this. He didn’t care about anything anymore, really. All he cared about was making Ironwood suffer the exact same way he did after Qrow lost him.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Sometimes the person that you would've taken a bullet for is the one behind the trigger

**Author's Note:**

> HI HELLO I KNOW THERE'S A NEW EPISODE IN LIKE ... 11 HOURS THAT WILL MOST LIKELY FOCUS ON QROW AND ROBYNS BREAKOUT BUT IDC <333 this is purely just me manifesting a scene of Qrow and Ironwood interacting and HOPEFULLY fighting like … I beg
> 
> Edit (14/03/21) - this note didn't age well

_ Qrow’s loud footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls. _

  
  


He was surprised that the facility was so empty. But, he wasn’t going to complain. That made it much easier for Qrow and Robyn to make their escape. 

After Cinder took Watts out of his cell and left, Qrow was left there to try and figure out what the hell had just happened. But, he had no chance to anyways, as Robyn took that opportunity of their cells being open to immediately get Qrow up and run out of their holding room.

Robyn had gotten a map up on a scroll that she had stolen from a knocked out guard that was probably stationed where they were being held. Occasionally making a left or a right. Qrow simply followed her without a word. He had no idea what was going on outside, but after hearing a bunch of shouts, gunshots, and screeches that most likely came from Grimm, he had a pretty good idea. Honestly, he saw it coming, and this was the perfect time to do it, with Ironwood being in his most vulnerable state.

Qrow’s face had a visible look of disgust on it after he thought of that name.

_ Ironwood. _

There was a time before all of this when he was finally starting to consider Ironwood as a friend. After everything they had been through. All of their constant bickering. He thought that Ironwood had finally become...well, tolerable. Then he had to go and declare martial law, and list him, his nieces, and their friends as fucking fugitives.

He had severely fucked up, and distanced himself at the worst possible time, too. Qrow sighed, as he took a left turn, following Robyn’s lead.

“And you’re sure you know where you’re going?” Qrow asked, slight annoyance in his tone, Robyn glanced over her shoulder at him well she was running, a neutral look on her face, before looking forward again.

“I’m just following the map, but all these damn halls look the same.” Robyn replied, her tone sharp. Right as she said that, though, the walls next to him began to change. The blue wallpaper standing out against what was once a harsh white. They were in the academy. How the hell did they get here? Qrow stopped in his tracks as he looked around the area they had gotten into. He recognised it, of course. It was right outside Ironwoods office. The facility they were in must have been directly linked to the Academy.

An unimaginable rage took hold of him as he realised that the man that caused all of this could be in the room right fucking next to him. He didn’t control his actions at that point. He immediately went up the staircase and up to the big doors that went into his main office. He could feel Robyn's glare on his back.

“Qrow, we have the perfect opportunity to get the hell out of here right now. Confronting him will only make him call more guards, what the hell are you doing?” Robyn called out from behind him, but Qrow didn’t listen. He didn’t care if he was forced back into a cell after this. He didn’t care about anything anymore, really. All he cared about was making Ironwood suffer the exact same way he did after Qrow lost  _ him. _

Qrow didn’t say anything back to Robyn, instead, he burst the doors open to Ironwood’s office, the man in question standing behind his desk, staring out at the chaos that was unfolding outside the Academy’s walls.

“JAMES.” Qrow shouted, his voice slightly shaky, as he clenched his fists, walking into the centre of the room. Ironwood didn’t turn around, but he did tilt his head slightly at the loud calling of his name.

“Branwen. How did you get out of your cell?” Ironwood questioned, as he fully turned his body to face the crimson eyed man. Qrow’s fists only tightened even more. After everything that has happened, that’s all Ironwood cared about. Order. Qrow heard footsteps behind him, as Robyn came to stand next to him, her expression matched Qrow’s rage induced one. 

“What the fuck have you done?!” Qrow shouted, taking a step closer to Ironwood’s desk, his hands shaking as he unclenched his fists. Ironwood’s expression didn’t change. “Your city is burning. Mantle is burning. Everything has gone to shit because of you!”

“Because of me???” Ironwood questioned, his face and position finally breaking his annoying “perfect military man” posture.

“Yes, you! How could it have not been your fault?!” Qrow responded. Ironwood made his way to stand beside his desk, arms at his side. He looked tired as hell. Qrow didn’t care. He didn’t care about Ironwood anymore. If Ironwood happened to die during the fall of Atlas, Qrow wouldn’t even fucking flinch. 

“I have no idea what’s happening out there, but I know it isn’t good. And I know that it’d probably be better if you actually fucking helped Mantle more, what did you expect would happen?!” Robyn snapped, reaching for her weapon that she had taken back from the equipment locker on their way here. 

Qrow didn’t reach for Harbinger. He didn’t want to touch it. He never even wanted to use it again. Not after everything that happened. Of course he’d take his weapon with him, but that didn’t mean he meant to use it. He only took it because it was once his. He didn’t see it as his own anymore.

  
  


He did have something else, though. He reached for that instead.

A slight gasp came from Ironwood, as he saw Qrow pull out a familiar weapon.

As Qrow pulled out Kingfisher.

Qrow had no idea how to use it, but he had seen  _ him  _ use it in the field enough to know how it worked.

“Really.” Ironwood deadpanned. “You’re using  _ his _ weapon? I would’ve thought you’d use the one you killed him with.” Ironwood pulled out one of his guns, not aiming it yet, simply keeping it to his side. 

Qrow flinched after he said that. A chuckle came from where Ironwood stood.

“It was your fault, you know. If you simply followed Clover’s order, he’d still be alive. Such a shame, really. He was one of my best operatives. I didn’t want to replace him, but I had no choice.” Ironwood knew what he was saying would get a reaction out of Qrow, and it did. Qrow would have leapt on him right then and there if Robyn hadn’t held him back, knowing Ironwood already had an attack planned.

“You asshole!” Qrow shouted, his eyes widening. “All you saw in him was an operative. A replaceable pawn. Not Clover. He wasn’t a weapon, he wasn’t just a soldier. He was a person!” Qrow screamed, his voice breaking multiple times throughout his message. Robyn could barely hold him back at this point. Ironwood didn't budge.

“You cared so much about him. And yet, you still fought so hard against him out in the tundra. What was your goal there, Qrow? To disarm him and leave him in the cold? It was either him, or you, after you decided to fight back. You really need to start thinking through your decisions.” Ironwood stated. that final remark made something inside Qrow snap.

“Like you can talk!” Qrow shouted across the room, his grip on Kingfisher tightening. “Everything is only as chaotic as it is because you didn’t want to work with YOUR people!! You didn’t think through your decisions at all, you hypocrite!” Robyn’s grip on Qrow’s arm tightened, as Qrow pulled more and more away from her so he could just wipe that smug look off of Ironwood's face.

“I guess we’re both two sides of the same coin then, you and I.” Ironwood, took a step back, realising Qrow could get out of Robyn's grasp and attack him at any moment. 

“Do not compare  _ me  _ to  _ you,  _ you monster.” Qrow’s mind was racing with ways he could fight with Clover’s weapon. Qrow had wanted to use Clover’s weapon ever since he first saw it, confused as to how the hell it worked, and how Clover was so skilled with it. But, he never expected to use it in a situation like...this.

“You know I’m right, I can see it in your face.” Qrow wasn’t even blinking anymore. He was just staring right at Ironwood. Waiting for him to make a move. But he wasn’t. He was just stirring him up. The bastard.

  
“At least I cared about the people around me. I cared about my loved ones enough not to leave them, like you did.” Qrow could see a flash of anger in Ironwoods deadpan glare.

Good. 

“You treat everyone around you like soldiers and nothing more. They aren’t people to you. They’re pawns.”

Ironwood scoffed.

  
  


“It’s surprising to see you care so much about an Atlas Operative, considering you made it very clear you despised Atlas huntsmen.” Ironwood said, staring right at Qrow. Not even blinking. Not even moving when he breathed in and out. He was like an empty statue.

“OF COURSE I CARED ABOUT HIM IRONWOOD. I LOVED HIM!” Qrow shouted, a slight look of surprise spread across both Robyn and Ironwoods faces, and even Qrow’s own as he realised what he had said. But, it soon shifted back into rage once again.

  
  


“Really now?” Ironwood said, his face also shifting back to a neutral look once again. “Why were you so determined to get him killed if you loved him, Branwen?” Qrow clenched his fists. All he wanted to do was punch that smug asshole in the face. He just wanted to make him  _ hurt.  _ But, Robyn continued to hold him back.

“I wasn’t the one that killed him.” Qrow said, his voice going deep for a moment, one final shove to Robyn knocked her back as he got out her grasp, arming Kingfisher as he slowly walked forward. Robyn didn’t try to stop him at this point.

“YOU WERE.” Qrow took one final step, before he jumped at the man in front of him.

Ironwood prepared for impact.

**Author's Note:**

> I WAS GONNA WRITE A FIGHT SCENE BUT THEN I REALISED I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SO <3 thats all ur getting
> 
> follow me on twitter or whateva i scream abt rwby a lot on there  
> https://twitter.com/winterfaIcxns


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